The present invention relates to a disposable applicator, which allows the consumers to sample cosmetic products such as lipsticks, liquid makeups, eye shadows and other types of viscous cosmetics as well as non-cosmetic products such as crayons, prior to making a purchase.
Cosmetic retailers do not normally provide "trial-size" samples at the counter. Consequently, when a consumer wishes to sample cosmetic products, the retailers usually offer her full-size items that have been previously sampled by other customers. Due to hygienic reasons the consumer may not want to apply the previously used cosmetics directly on herself. In the case of lipsticks, the consumer usually applies the lipstick to her hand and tries to imagine how the sample would look on her lips.
Also, consumer protection and health regulations have been enacted in at least one state which ban shared testers and require retailers and cosmetic companies to provide customers with disposable makeup applicators or samples, or post warning signs and safety instructions.
In response, manufacturers have introduced cosmetic samples to be provided to customers in encapsulated blisters. For lipsticks, customers may apply this type of samples to their lips with cotton swabs. This is a less satisfactory solution. At the present time, there is no disposable applicator that allows the consumers to extract lipstick at the retail counters.
Other types of applicators are known, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,301,697 to Gueret discloses a disposable applicator having the cosmetics pre-applied to it at the factory under high temperature and pressure conditions; U.S. Pat. No. 5,040,914 to Fitjer discloses a permanent plastic applicator that is porous and sponge-like; U.S. Pat. No. 4,955,745 also discloses a soft porous applicator for applying nail polish; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,050,826 discloses a permanent applicator that allows viscous fluid to pass through via capillary action.
Thus, there remains an unresolved need in the cosmetic industry for a disposable applicator which is capable of extracting an amount of cosmetics, e.g., lipsticks, sufficient for a single use. Additionally, the applicator would be stored "dry", i.e., without cosmetics, so that the consumer can extract different types or colors of cosmetics with the applicator at the retail counter prior to sampling.